The studio arts program at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, Calif., includes courses in painting. ; Credit: Photo courtesy of Cal Lutheran/Brian Stethem

California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks has taken the first steps toward building a new, art center with a commitment of at least $8 million in contributions and matching funds.

Over the weekend, the university's board of regents voted to spend $300,0o0 on design and planning for the new project. The complex will include offices and art studios in about 25,000 to 30,000 square feet of space.

RELATED: Top 10 arts education stories for 2014

The center will be the new home for the school's art department, which is currently spread out across the campus. 

"The facilities that they're in now are really not optimal," said Karin Grennan, the media relations manager for the university. 

The school offers instruction in studio arts, design and commercial art, digital art and art history. 

Grennan said the new project will add to the university's recent art initiatives: in 2012, the faculty members launched an art conference that's attracted international interest. Two conferences have been held so far and the next one will take place in November. The university is also raising funds to build a new performing art center on campus. 

Art collector and real estate developer William Rolland pledged up to $4 million toward the art center project, an amount the university will match. 

Rolland has previously donated money to the university, including contributions for the football stadium and art gallery. Rolland spent several decades as a real estate developer in Ventura County, and once lived in Thousand Oaks. 

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

If the dilute and dispose approach for disposing of the surplus plutonium in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is fully implemented, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) should use two independent review teams to develop public trust in and improve its decisions, says a new interim report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

On Monday, California State University, Fullerton announced it was planning to begin the fall 2020 semester online, making it one of the first colleges to disclose contingency plans for prolonged coronavirus disruptions.

"Our plan is to enter [the fall] virtually," said Pamella Oliver, the schools provost, at a virtual town hall. "Of course that could change depending on the situation, depending on what happens with COVID-19. But at this point that's what we're thinking."

The public institution in Southern California also said it hopes to resume in-person learning when it's safe to do so.

Oliver asked faculty to start planning for fall virtual classes now, citing the pain felt this spring when the university was forced to transition to online classes. "Having to jump quickly, without having in-depth plans," she said, "added to the difficulty."

Colleges and universities moved spring classes online, and many also closed campuses in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Schools are now grappling with how long the disruptions will last, and what the fall semester will look like, but many have been hesitant to announce their fall plans publicly.

College enrollment was already on a downward trend before the pandemic, making it a competitive field for college recruiters — every student they sign up counts. The big question is: Will students still enroll if college is all online? And will colleges that were already in dire financial straits survive the outbreak?

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Source: Streetwise Reports   04/28/2020

SmileDirectClub Inc. (SDC:NASDAQ) today announced "it has been issued a patent for its SmileShop intellectual property from the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office which further strengthens the telehealth dentistry pioneer's efforts to bring affordable, accessible oral care to more people through its unique and innovative teledentistry platform and direct-to-consumer business model." The firm claimed that the patent will prevent other clear aligner competitors from duplicating its business model for the next 18 years.

The company's CEO David Katzman commented, "This patent designation is a significant validation of our unique customer-oriented care model, and expands our category ownership, including the manufacturing and retail experience...As the industry pioneer and inventor of the SmileShop concept, this patent is recognition that SmileDirectClub offers an innovative way for consumers to access oral care that is safe, doctor-directed and convenient. We look forward to welcoming customers back to our SmileShops at the earliest and safest possible time."

"We are focused on the entire teeth straightening and care process, and we now own the manufacturing process of our clear aligner products, the customer experience via our teledentistry platform, as well as the retail experience for clear aligner therapy. This patent is another step in our process as we continue to grow and protect our business," Katzman added.

The firm advised that "the patent encompasses the unique SmileShop concept and process" which includes appointment scheduling, conducting an intraoral scan, generating an approved treatment plan by a licensed dentist or orthodontist and then creating and shipping the aligners to the customer. The company noted that so far more than one million customers have used its clear aligner therapy platform.

The company stated that it is planning to slowly reopen its SmileShops in the U.S. and other markets starting in May as local governments begin to lift business restrictions. The firm indicated that it will be supplying all of its SmileShop team members with face shields and other PPE and will institute staggered appointment times, temperature scans and other social distancing and sanitary measures to provide a safe experience for all staff and customers.

SmileDirectClub is an oral care company headquartered in Nashville, Tenn. The firm stated that it is the creator of the first direct-to-consumer medtech platform for teeth straightening. The company has since expanded its business and now offers its products directly through dentist and orthodontists' offices. Some of the products offered by the company include aligners, impression kits, retainers and whitening gel. In addition to the U.S., the company also operates in Australia, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand and the U.K.

SmileDirectClub began the day with a market capitalization of around $2.1 billion with approximately 385 million shares outstanding and a short interest of about 10.4%. SDC shares opened more than 26% higher today at $6.76 (+$1.37, +26.42%) over yesterday's $5.39 closing price. The stock has traded today between $6.13 to $6.80 per share and is currently trading at $6.64 (+$1.25, +23.14%).

Disclosure:
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5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article until three business days after the publication of the interview or article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases.
6) This article does not constitute medical advice. Officers, employees and contributors to Streetwise Reports are not licensed medical professionals. Readers should always contact their healthcare professionals for medical advice.

( Companies Mentioned: SDC:NASDAQ, )

The importance of comprehensive flood emergency plans is becoming increasingly recognised. A new study has evaluated plans in England and Wales, France and the Netherlands. It was found that, although plans perform well in terms of organisation and communication, they are lacking in more technical aspects, such as the provision of flood hazard maps and evacuation plans.

Researchers in Greece have added a new dimension to noise level mapping by including data on residents’ perception and value of different sounds. This consideration of the experiences of residents in this way could lead to more effective policy implementation.

Researchers have designed and proposed a new organic waste management plan for Catalonia, Spain, and presented it in a recent study. They say that the plan would reduce a number of environmental impacts that arise from landfilling biodegradable waste, including natural resource depletion, acidification, and eutrophication.

The flurry of transactions show the tycoon's ambitions to pivot Reliance Industries into an Indian technology titan are going into hyperdrive

Small sellers on e-commerce platforms said they are faced with a working capital crunch and the delay would force them to pay partial or no salaries for April.

The company said the proposed manufacturing facility will cater to the growing need for GPS trackers in sand and mineral mining. Its chief executive officer Konark Chukkapally said the Andhra government has made it mandatory for all the vehicles involved in the transportation of sand to have GPS trackers.

The flurry of transactions show the tycoon's ambitions to pivot Reliance Industries into an Indian technology titan are going into hyperdrive

The company’s data centers are currently located in Singapore. “We don’t have a stated plan yet but we may look at opening an Indian data centre to be closer to customers in India. Some customers prefer local presence,” said Nikhil Arora, managing director, GoDaddy India.

Recent research has established how forest, wetland and agricultural ecosystems could affect economic growth in Sweden. The findings suggest that regions conventionally considered to be of low economic benefit, are in fact rich in valuable ecosystem resources.

A new decision-making aid to identify the best type of management plan for Natura 2000 sites has been developed by researchers. Using extensive data on different facets of biodiversity and human impacts, the researchers created two indices to show where conservation measures need to be integrated with socio-economic development. This study used sites in Italy as a case study but the method is widely applicable to all Natura 2000 sites, the researchers stress.

Researchers have developed a new computer model to help decision-makers quickly assess proposed strategies to cut air pollution, by generating an array of useful data and maps in under half a minute. The model uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to quickly make sense of the complex problem of urban air quality, and innovatively considers the influence of public opinion in its assessment of emission reduction strategies — given that some are deemed more socially acceptable than others.

MELFA – The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) invites the public to attend a hearing on Tuesday, August 28, to learn about and comment...

The post Fee breaks back Honeymoon mine plans appeared first on The Lead SA.

Watford chairman and chief executive Scott Duxbury has labelled the Premier League's Project Restart plans as "unfair" and claims they are "lacking sporting integrity".

Petrobras is the operator with a 35 percent interest.

A new proposal would expand offshore drilling in U.S. waters, but it's drawing fire from supporters as well as critics of the oil and gas industry.

Clever website factors in diet goals, body type and food preferences to create a weekly meal plan that makes sense.

Augsburg College is now the largest purchaser of wind energy from Xcel's Wind Source, the biggest provider in the U.S.

Alec Baldwin champions both renewable energy and the preservation of East Hampton, N.Y., with equal passion. So how will things play out now that the actor has

Cannon Beach is building the first tsunami evacuation center, a city hall that can also serve as a shelter.

Wind power critics argue that turbines kill birds. So why is the U.K.'s largest bird charity planning a turbine?

President Obama has a tricky balancing act to perform as BP plans to resume offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

Four state-sponsored 529 plans earn a Morningstar gold rating.

NASA is pressing forward on assessing the value of a "human-tended waypoint" near the far side of the moon — one that would embrace international partnerships

Looking out for the safety of kids and pets, the EPA decides to ban some toxic rodent poisons. Here are a few pest remediation alternatives that rely on repelli

Stockton is set to become the first city in the U.S. to experiment with providing a universal basic income to some low-income families.

Sierra Club claims success after year-long 'Clean up Dynergy' campaign

Project Haiti Orphanage and Children's Center will provide a safe and healthy home for Haitian children.

Chengdu's wild plan involves a reflective satellite or "moon" that would beam down a "dusk-like glow" within city limits.

The Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway will facilitate exploration missions of the moon and serve as a gateway for deep space missions to Mars.

Weight Watchers? Paleo? Whole30? DASH diet? Every diet offers something different, here's your guide to figuring it all out.

Colleges and high schools have gathered in Detroit to show off their super-efficient home-built hot rods. Meanwhile, Shell is building its own fuel miser.

In the 1930s, the National Park Service created master plans for each U.S. national park that showed and explained the vision for development of each park.

Tulloch has decided to run the life and GI businesses as distinct divisions within Aviva, rather than separating them in different entities.

The SME-focused insurtech was launched by former Aviva and Brokerbility expert, Jodi Cartwright, in 2019.

Updated: No interruptions to services are expected, but some staff are expected to remain at their offices.

If you are trying to decide which TV is better for your life style, just take a look at your viewing styles

Although very popular, text messaging has often resulted in exorbitant bills. Recently, cellular providers have begun providing an option that may be more cost effective: unlimited texting plans. Learn what to look for in such plans.

Understanding how cell phone minutes are billed can save users a great deal of expense on their monthly bill. We will explain the terminology that is common in cell phone plans.

Purchasing a web enabled cell phone is only one step in the process of getting the efficiency smartphones can provide busy, time limited people. We will tip you off on some important things to consider when choosing a data plan.

Cell phone plans across the globe vary a great deal. Some say that cell phone plans in the US are more costly. However, there are some advantages to the cell phone plans in the US which may balance the difference.

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Traditional Business Planningis boring. Originally people wrote them so a banker would lend money. Truth is fewer than 10% of the fortune 500 companies even used bnak money to start. They got it from friends and family. So why write a plan.